Rail lubricator



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R. S. MENNIE RAIL LUBRICATOR Feb. 4, 193% Filed July 7, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Kobe/7 S. Mann/ e.

a 1 ATTORNEY I 1 l l l l E l l l 1 I l @PQJO 3935c R. s. MENNHE 2,029,82

RAIL LUBRICATOR Filed July 7, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Robe/f5. Mann/e.

45 ATTZZJJQINEY E 9 N M N I 7 E M y l M w u J s L d n M e R R F Feb. 4, 1936.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb, 4, 1936. R. s. MENNIE RAIL LUBRICATOR Filed Jui 7, 1931 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR H fioberffi/lle/m/e.

i4 AiTORNEY of the tie.

Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL LUBBICATOR Robert S. Mennie, Montelair, N. J.

Application July 7, 1931, Serial No. 549,206

' 20 Claims. (01. 184-3) This invention relates to rail lubricators and more particularly to automatic rail lubricators adapted to apply relatively thick grease to rails of tracks with which they are associated, for example, on curves. This invention is especially adapted for use in connection with lubricators of the general type disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 541,216, filed June 1, 1931.

Among rail lubricators heretofore in use, most of them have required special installations and have required a substantial amount of skill in the workmen making the installations.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved rail lubricator whereby the above and other disadvantages are obviated.

Another important object is to provide improved rail lubricating means, self contained and readily attachable to parts of a track. A further object of the invention is to provide a rail lubricator which can be connected with the rails of a track in substantially the usual manner of connecting a tie with the rails.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a body portion having the general shape of a tie is provided at one end with a container for the lubricant and means for directing the lubricant to a rail connected with the tie in substantially the usual manner, at the other end with a device operable by rolling stock passing along the track, and between the ends with means whereby the lubricant is forced from the container by operation of the device at the other end Provision is also made of means for rendering the lubricant expelling means ineffective when desired or when the supply of lubricant is substantially exhausted, and for permitting the receptacle to be filled again with lubricant. As a result of having the body portion in the general shape of a tie and connected with both rails of the track, said body portion will distribute the weight of passing rolling stock on the ballast, thus tending to maintain the various parts in proper relations to produce efiective operation. Another advantage of having the body portion of the lubricator in the general shape of a tie is that the desired support and positioning of the device with respect to the rails may be effected by working on the ballast as is done with the ties in putting the track into shape, for example, as to alignment.

Other features and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description and of the drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in longitudinal section,

of one end of a tie embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the middle portion of the tie;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the other end of the 5 tie, parts being broken away to show the underlying structure;

' Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of 10 Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a section taken along the line 1--'[ of Fig. 6; and 15 Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in designates a hollow metal body in the general form of a tie which serves as a casing and support for the operating parts of the lubricator. The end of the tie shown in Figs. 1 and 8 is the one to be placed at the inner side of a curve and may be referred to as the inner end. This end includes a storage chamber II for hydraulic fluid or oil which is removed therefrom by a pump l2 operable by an inner rail l3 during the passage of a train or other rolling stock. The hydraulic fluid or oil may be supplied to the chamber I I through an opening M at the top thereof, said opening 30 being normally closed by a plug IS.

The pump l2 includes a vertical cylinder I6 in which fits a piston ll forming the lower end of a plunger l8. The upper end of the plunger may be of reduced diameter and extends up- 35 wardly through an externally threaded collar l9 threaded into a cylindrical recess 20 at the upper end of the cylinder [6. Leakage of fluid past the piston i1 is prevented by suitable piston rings 2|, and the collar I9 is provided at its interior with a groove 22 holding a ring 23 of felt, or other suitable material, which fits closely around the reduced upper end of the plunger and prevents the passage of dirt or the like into the upper end of the cylinder.

At its lower end the cylinder l6 opens into a chamber 24 of greater cross section than the interior of the cylinder and has a peripheral wall 25 extending down to the bottom of the tie. The wall 25 is provided at the side toward the storage chamber I I with an inlet port 26 of which the outer end is protected by an overhanging hood 21. At this point it may be said the cylinder l6 and'the wall 25 together with partitions 28 extending therefrom to the sides of the tie form one end of the storage chamber ll. As indicated in Fig. 8, this part of the tie is narrower than the rest. This arrangement provides additional space for means for fastening the tie to a rail at this point. The wall 25 is also provided with an outlet port 29 which is preferably at a lower level than the inlet port 26.

The control of the inlet port and the outlet port 28 is effected by means of a valve assembly including a member or block 30 inserted into the chamber 24 from below and fitting closely against the wall 25. Preferably the block 35 is inserted under high pressure and will be retained without use of any other fastening means. The block 30 is provided with an inlet passage 3! registering at one end with the inlet port 26 and communicating at its other end with the upper end of a chamber 32 having a valve seat with a ball 33 of an inlet check valve 34. The ball "53 is inserted from below and is pressed up against the valve seat by a spring 35 interposed between the ball and a screw plug 36 threaded into the lower end of the chamber and forming a fluid tight seal therefor. At its side the chamber 32 communicates with a passage 31 leading up to the upper surface of the block 30 and communicating with the interior of the pump cylinder H6. The passage 3'! is also connected by means of a passage 38 with the upper end of a chamber 39 containing a ball All of an outlet check valve 4|, the ball 45 being urged upwardly against a valve seat at the top of the chamber by a spring 52 engaged at its lower end by a screw plug 43. The chamber 39 communicates at one side with an outlet 430, which registers with the outlet port 29.

The plunger I8 is urged upwardly against a tie plate 45 by means of a spring 45 interposed between the lower end of the plunger and the upper side of the block 30. The tie plate 44 is mounted for upward and downward movement between the opposed vertical surfaces of two abutments t5 and is provided at its ends with downwardly extending flanges 41 engaging the opposite faces of the tie atthat point. At its upper side the tie plate is provided with abutments or projections 48 to prevent sidewise move-- ment of the rail. Preferably these abutments 58 do not engage directly with the edges of the rail base but engage insulation 49 fitting over said edges. As indicated in Fig. 1, the tie plate is provided at its lower face with ribs 50 one of which engages the upper end of the plunger l8.

In order to assure operation of the pump I2 by wheels passing along the rail l3, it is necessary to connect the rail and tie plate to the tie so as to prevent separation and also to maintain the tie plate spaced upwardly from the tie, except when depressed by the passing of a wheel along the rail. To this end a tie is provided at opposite sides thereof and at opposite sides of the space occupied by'the rail with brackets 55 in the form of hollow blocks of which certain walls engage the inner surfaces of the flanges 57 extending downwardly from the tie plate. Mounted in the hollow brackets 5| are strong helical springs 52 which rest against the bottoms of the brackets and extend through the open upper ends thereof into engagement with the lower face of the tie plate. These springs 52 are of such strength as to maintain the tie plate and rail in spaced relation with respect to the tie except when depressed by the passage of a wheel. As illustrated in the drawings, the parts are held against undue separation by means of bolts 53 passed upwardly through the bottom of the hollow brackets and through the springs 52. The bolts also pass through openings in the tie plate and openings in clamp members 54, each of which engages at one edge the tie plate and at the opposite edge the adjacent insulation 49. Above the clamp members 54 the bolts 53 pass through springs 55 which are compressed to the requisite degree by nuts 56 threaded on the upper ends of the bolts. Preferably washers 51 are interposed between the springs 55 and the nuts 55. By turning the nuts 56 the clamping effect of the members 54 and the effective action of the springs 52 may be regulated.

Upon successive depressions of the plunger l8 due to the passage of rolling stock and corresponding returns under the action of the spring 55, hydraulic fluid will be drawn in through the inlet check valve 34 and forced out through the outlet check valve ll. From the pump the fluid is forced out through the outlet port 29 and into a pipe 58 threaded into the outer end of this port. In the ordinary operation of the apparatus, the fluid forced into the pipe 58 passes through a pipe 59 into one end of a cylinder 65 and moves a piston 5| towards the other end of the cylinder. This piston is connected in turn by means of a rigid connector or link 6m with another piston 62 slidable in a lubricant containing cylinder 53 and serving to expel lubricant from the farther end of such cylinder and back through a pipe ('54 to a position adjacent to the outside rail 55, from which position it passes through a flat nozzle 55 to the inner side of the rail head. In order to avoid trouble from variations in alignment, the link Eta. is connected with the piston 6 I by means of a ball-and-socket connection 15 and with the piston 52 by means of a like connection H.

Thecylinder Bil is mounted in partitions 72 extending across the tie and, at the end adjacent to the pump I2, is provided with a removable head 13 having a central opening with which the pipe 59 is connected. To prevent leakage, past the piston 6|, it is provided at its pressure side with a flexible washer M of U-shaped section positioned in an annular recess in said piston. Similarly the piston 62 is provided with a flexible washer 62a of L-shaped section.

The cylinder 53 is mounted in partitions T5 of which one is at the extreme end of the tie which is closed by a cap 15 secured in position in any suitable manner, for example by means of screws ll. The cap 16 is provided with a filling opening 78 normally closed by a screw plug 19. Inasmuch as the cylinder 63 is of such diameter as to occupy substantially all of the available space at the corresponding end of the tie it; the pipe 54, through which the lubricant is expelled from the cylinder 53 and the cap 15, is positioned in one of the corners at the upper part of the tie. The pipe 64 passes through and has a fluid tight connection with the right hand partition 715 (Fig. 3) and the end of the cylinder 63 is sealed in the same partition as by welding. The pipe 64 extends to the inner side of the rail 55 and is connected in any suitable manner, as by means of an elbow 8G, with an upwardly extending pipe 8i positioned above the upper surface of the tie. The upper end of the pipe or pipe section 89 is bent toward the inner side of the rail and is connected by means including a nipple of insulating material with the nozzle 66 so as to position the flat upper end thereof for delivery of lubricant through the slot 82 to the rail at the desired height.

The rail 65 should also be given a definite position along the tie l9, and, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6 and '1, the base of the rail is provided with insulation 83, and these strips of insulation rest on raised supports or strips 84 at opposite sides of the tie and preferably integral therewith. Sidewise movement of the rail 65 is prevented by abutments or lugs 85a projecting upwardly from the strips and engaging the insulation strips 83. It will be seen that the tie I9 or body portion of the lubricator, taken in connection with other parts, not only supports the rails but assists in holding them to gage. The strips 84 extend outwardly beyond the side walls and may be reinforced from beneath by vertical ribs 85 on the side of the tie. Bolts 86 pass upwardly through strips 84 and clamp members or plates 81 resting at opposite edges on the strips 84 and the insulation 83; and each bolt 86 is provided at its upper end with a nut 88 and a lock nut 89. To assist in holding the nozzle 66 in position, there may be provided a member 99 of insulating material secured to the adjacent clamp member 81 by suitable fastening devices 9| and resting on the top of the adjacent clamp member 81.

Before refilling the grease cylinder 63, the pistons 6| and 62 must be moved back to the other ends of the corresponding cylinders 69 and 63. Such movement of the pistons cannot, however, be effected until the pressure in the cylinder 69 has been relieved so that the liquid therein can be expelled with relative ease by pressing back the piston 6|. To provide for this action, the pipes 58 and 59 are connected with two of the openings of a three-way connection 92, of which the third opening is connected with a discharge pipe 93 which extends through the partitions 12 to the far end of the cylinder 69 and to the top of the cylinder where it is connected with a pressure release device or valve 94.

The valve 94 includes a cylindrical body 95 arranged transversely of the cylinder 62 and secured in position on the top thereof. The discharge pipe 93 is connected with the cylindrical valve body 95 at one side thereof and at its opposite side the valve body is connected with a second discharge pipe 96 which extends in the opposite direction through the partitions 12 and communicates through an opening in one of the partitions 28 with the interior of the oil storage chamber II. If there is no obstruction between the adjacent ends of the pipes 93 and 96, actuation of the pump |2 would serve merely to withdraw oil from the chamber II and return it thereto through the pipes 93 and 96. Under the same conditions at the valve 94, forcing back the piston 6| would force the oil in the cylinder 69 through the pipe 93, the valve 94 and the pipe 96 to return it to the oil chamber II.

Control of the connection between the pipes 93 and 99 may be effected by means of a member or piston 91 slidable in the cylindrical body 95 and having a transversely arranged port 98 adapted to connect the pipes when moved into the proper position. For manual control of the valve, a spindle 99 extends through one head I99 of the valve body and through an opening I9I in the wall of the tie. At its outer end, the stem is provided with a head to facilitate manual operation of the valve. The opening |9| may be closed by a suitable cap I9I-a. It is necessary, however, to provide means for automatically limiting the movement of the pistons 6| and 62 so as to stop the same when the lubricant piston 62 reaches the discharge end of the corresponding cylinder 63.

For such automatic control, the head I92 of the valve cylinder 95 remote from the spindle or stem 99 is provided with an opening into which is threaded the end of a control pipe |92a which is connected at its other end with the cylinder 69 at such a point that, when the piston 6| reaches the end of its desired range of movement, the corresponding end of the control pipe will be exposed to the oil under pressure in the cylinder 69. The fluid under pressure will then pass through the control pipe and shift the piston or valve member 91 to a position in which the port 98 connects the pipes 93 and 91 and the oil pumped from the oil chamber I will be returned directly thereto without doing any work. The pistons 6| and 62 may then be returned to starting position to enable a new supply of lubricant to be forced into the cylinder 63 through the opening 18.

The return movement of the pistons 6| and 62 may be effected by any suitable means. To this end the link 6|a is provided with teeth I93 forming a rack which cooperates with a pinion I94 fixed on a shaft I95 journaled at opposite sides of the tie and held against endwise movement by collars I96 fixed thereto by suitable devices I91. One end of the shaft I95 extends to the outside of the tie where it is provided with a suitably shaped end I98, for example a squared end, for engagement and operation by a wrench which may conveniently be of the pawl-and-ratchet type.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower side of the tie I9 is open not only under the lower end of the chamber 24 but also from the wall 25 thereof to the first partition 12. This arrangement is of value in connection with the making of the tie proper and alsoin connection with the assembly and removal of parts. When in use the tie is closed at this point by means of a plate I99 secured in position by suitable means such as screws I I9. Also, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, there is an opening III above the valve 94 and pinion I94 and this opening is closed by a plate 2 secured in position by devices H3.

Obviously, the insulation 49 at the base of the rail l3, the insulation 83 at the base of the rail 65', and the insulating members Sla. and 99 associated with the nozzle 66, prevent electrical connection of the rail l3 with the rail 95 through the tie I9, thereby avoiding interference with signal systems and the like.

In general, the operation is substantially as follows:-

Let is be assured that there is grease in the cylinder 63 and oil in the chamber II and that the valve member or piston 91 is in its Fig. 5 position. As rolling stock passes along the track, the plunger I8 of the pump I2 will be moved downwardly due to the passage of wheels thereover on the rail I3 and upwardly by the spring 45 and oil will be pumped from the chamber II into the cylinder 69 to move the piston 6| and through the link 6|a advance the piston 62 to expel grease through the slot or outlet 82 of the nozzle 66 and deposit it on the rail. It is particularly desirable to use relatively stiff grease, for example, of substantially the consistency of Vaseline, in that this grease will tend to stay in positon on the rail until engaged by the flange of a wheel. This action may continue until the piston 6| moves past and exposes the end of the control pipe 12a, whereupon the piston 91 of the valve 94 is advanced to cause connection of pipes 93 and 96, and the oil by the pump I2 is bypassed around the cylinder 60 and restored to the chamber ll. When an attendant inspects the device in his regular rounds, he moves back the pistons 6| and 62 to their starting positions by rotating the shaft 15 in itsproper direction by a suitable wrench. Then he inserts lubricant through the opening 18, the plug 19 being removed, and when the cylinder 63 is filled, he again screws the plug 79 into the opening. He also removes the cap I!) la and presses the spindle S9 inwardly to restore the valve piston 91 to normal working position (Fig. 5). The cap mm is screwed into place and the apparatus is again in condition for regular operation.

If the attendant in his rounds arrives before the automatic stoppage of the pistons 6| and 62, he unscrews the cap Iflla, pulls the stem 99 outwardly to stop the movement of the pistons 6| and 62. The replenishment of lubricant and restoration of the apparatus to normal working condition are then effected as hereinbefore described. v

It will be evident that the connection between the rail IS, the plate 44 and tie I ll is such as to enable adjustment, as to length, of the working stroke of the plunger l8 of the pump l2. By screwing down the nuts 56 on the bolts 53, the normal separation'between the tie plate 44 and the tie in will be decreased and consequently the stroke of the pump plunger will be decreased thus reducing the amount of oil pumped for any given number of strokes. Also by loosening the nuts 56, the length of stroke and rate of pumping will be increased. The length of stroke for any particular setting of the nuts may be estimated by noting the normal height of the edges of the tie plate above the tops of the abutments 48. Im-. portant functions of the springs 55 are to produce a cushioning effect when the tie plate and rail are checked in their upward movement and to maintain the parts in engagement during the downward movements of these members.

It should be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement and that various features may be used without others without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. A rail lubricator comprising a body in the general form of a tie serving to connect and support the rails of a track, and actuating means principally within said body adapted to be operated by the passage of rolling stock along said rails to feed lubricant from said body to one of said rails.

2. A rail lubricator comprising a body in the general form of a tie adapted for connecting and supporting the rails of a track, said rail lubricator including actuating means principally within said body adapted for operation by the passage of rolling stock along said rails to supply lubricant under pressure and means for directing to a rail lubricant supplied by said actuating means, the arrangement being such that the actuating means and the lubricant directing means are properly positioned by attachment of the body to the rails.

3. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, including a device for directing lubricant to a wheel engaging surface of such rail, rail-operated means for forcing lubricant from said device by pressure of another fluid, and a common support for said device and said railoperated means in the general form of a tie connecting and supporting the rails and containing the principal parts of said device and rail operated means.

4. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, a device for directing lubricant to a wheelengaging surface of such rail, rail-operated means for forcing lubricant from said device by pressure of another fluid, and a body in the shape of a tie serving as a support for said device and said rail-operated means and being adapted for attachment to both rails of said track and for containing the greater part of the rail operated means and the lubricant-forcing means.

5. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, including a body portion in the general shape'of a tie adapted for attachment to both of the rails of said track, a lubricant chamber in said body portion, a connection from.said lubricant chamber to the rail surface to be lubricated, and means carried by said body portion operable by the passage of rolling stock for forcing lubricant from said lubricant chamber.

6. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, including a body portion in the shape of a. tie adapted for attachment to both of the rails of said track, a lubricant chamber in said body portion, a connection from said lubricant chamber to the rail surface to be lubricated, and railoperated means for forcing lubricant from said lubricant chamber.

'7. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, including a body portion in the form of a tie adapted for attachment to both of the rails of said track, a lubricant chamber in said tie, a connection from said lubricant chamber to the rail surface of the rail to be lubricated, and means principally within said body portion for forcing lubricant from said lubricant chamber including a pump acting upon another fluid and operated by the lower side of the other rail.

8. A rail lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a tie plate for one rail of the track mounted on said tie and movable upwardly and downwardly with respect to the tie, a pump in said tie including an actuating member operated by said tie plate, means for urging said actuating member and tie plate upwardly, and means for limiting the upward movement of said actuating member and thereby regulating the action of the pump.

9. A rail lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a tie plate for one rail of the track movable upwardly and downwardly with respect to the tie, a pump in said tie including an actuating member operated by said tie plate, means for urging said actuating member and tie plate upwardly, and adjustable means for limiting the upward movement of said actuating member and thereby regulating the action of the pump, said limiting means including springs to cushion the stopping of said rail in its movement away from. the tie.

10. A rail lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a tie plate for one rail of the track mounted on the tie movable upwardly and downwardly with respect to the tie, a pump carried by said tie including a reciprocating member, resilient means urging said reciprocating member against the bottom of said tie plate, resilient means normally supporting said tie plate above said tie, and means for limiting the separation of said tie plate and tie.

11. A rail lubricator including a metal tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a lubricant reservoir at one end of the tie, a nozzle connected with said lubricant reservoir and mounted on said tie to deliver lubricant to the rail at that end of the tie, a pumpat the other end of the tie, a tie plate actuating said pump, and means actuated by said pump for forcing lubricant from said reservoir through said nozzle.

12. A rail lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a lubricant cylinder in one end of said tie, a nozzle adjacent the rail at that end and connected with said lubricant cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a fluid chamber in the other end of said tie, a pump actuated by passage of wheels along the rail adjacent to said fluid chamber, a power cylinder, a

piston in said power cylinder, a connection between said pistons, a connection between the pump and the power cylinder to actuate the corresponding piston, and means automatically rendered effective when the piston in the power cylinder reaches a predetermined point for bypassing the oil around said power cylinder.

13. A rail'lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a lubricant cylinder in one end of said tie, a nozzle adjacent the rail at that end and connected with said lubricant cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a fluid chamber in the other end of said tie, a pump actuated by passage of wheels along the rail adjacent to said fluid chamber, a power cylinder, a piston in said power cylinder, a connection between said pistons, a connection between the pump and the power cylinder to actuate the corresponding piston, means automatically rendered effective when the piston in the power cylinder reaches a predetermined point for bypassing the oil around said power cylinder, and means acting on the connection'between said pistons for forcing them back to enable replenishment in the lubricant cylinder.

14. A rail lubricator including a tie for attachment to the rails of a track, a lubricant cylinder in one end of said tie, a nozzle adjacentthe rail at that end and connected with said lubricant cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a fluid chamber in the other end of said tie, a pump actuated by passage of wheels along the rail adjacent to said fluid chamber, a power cylinder, a piston in said power cylinder, a connection between said pistons, a connection between the pump and the power cylinder to actuate the corresponding piston, means automatically rendered effective when the piston in the power cylinder reaches a predetermined point for by-passing the fluid around said power cylinder, and manual means for rendering the by-passing means effective and ineffective.

15. A rail lubricator comprising a rail-supporting and rail-connecting structure containing actuating means adapted to be operated by the passuitably arranged to distribute the weight ofpassing rolling stock to the ballast to feed lubricant from said rail-supporting and rail-connecting structure to a rail supported thereby and actuating means adapted to be operated by the means being principally internal with respect to the rail-supporting and rail-connecting structure.

17. In a rail lubricator, the combination of a rail-supporting structure in the general form of a tie transversely disposed with respect to the parallel rails of a railway track, means for securing both rails rigidly to said structure in a lateral direction, means for permitting limited vertical movement of one rail to be efiected by the passage of rolling stock, means for controlling said vertical movement and actuating means principally within said rail-supporting structure controlled by such vertically movable rail whereby lubricant is forced to the wheel-engaging rail surface.

18. In a rail lubricator, the combination of a rail-connecting structure arranged to hold the parallel rails of a railway track to gage including a base adapted to the distribution of loads imposed by passing rolling stock to the road bed, and actuating means carried by said rail-connecting structure for forcing lubricant fluid to the wheel-engaging rail surface, said actuating means including means operated by the passage of said rolling stock for building up pressure in another fluid and transmitting such pressure to the lubricant fluid.

19. A rail lubricator including a rail-supporting casing arranged transversely with respect to the rails of a track, a tie plate for one rail mounted on said casing and movable upwardly and downwardly with respect thereto, lubricantadvancing means including an actuating member operated bysaid tie plate, means urging said actuating member and tie plate upwardly, and means limiting the upward movement of said actuating member and thereby regulating the action of the lubricant-advancing means.

20. A lubricator for one of the rails of a railroad track, including a body portion in the general form of a tie placed between two of the usual ties and supported by the ballast in the same manner as the usual ties, a lubricant chamber in said body portion, a connection from said lubricant chamber to the rail surface to be lubricated, and means carried by said body portion operable by the passage of rolling stock for forcing lubricant from said lubricant chamber.

ROBERT S. MENNIE.

passage of said rolling stock, said actuating 

